Design with a difference

Design graduates and designers will be encouraged to think about the difference design can make at a Northumbria University event this month.

‘Think Differently’ invites design, business and engineering graduates, as well as managers in the public and private sector who commission design, to hear about the role and impact of design in organisations from successful postgraduate alumni.

The event, which takes place on 20 June in Northumbria’s Design building, will showcase the benefits of studying for a postgraduate qualification at the University.

Attendees will hear from design alumni: Alexandra Tinning, Design Translator at Mars; Nikki Tipping, Relationship Executive at Manchester United FC; Steve Crumpton, entrepreneur and owner of Diffuse Design; and Ryan McGinley, Design and Innovation Consultant at a leading consultancy group. The speakers will share how studying for a postgraduate qualification with Northumbria University has improved their career prospects and progression, and how it can give graduates an edge that makes an impact wherever they go.

There will be a question and answer session and opportunities for attendees to network with Northumbria University’s Postgraduate Team. Visitors to ‘Think Differently’ will also be able to preview the latest in design talent by taking a tour around REVEAL – Northumbria’s Undergraduate and Postgraduate end-of-year show.

Nikki Tipping, who graduated with an MSc in Multidisciplinary Design Innovation (MDI), came to Northumbria Design from a business undergraduate degree background.

She said: “Multidisciplinary Design Innovation ignited my creative marketing ability and in particular my love for customer research and relationship management. I bridged the gap between the client and designers, bringing consumer needs and desires in the simplest form to enable the designers to design from a creative brief. MDI taught me how to successfully manage relationships.”

With a heritage of over 160 years, Design at Northumbria has an established reputation for award-winning design courses, teaching, research and industry collaboration.

Famous design alumni include Apple’s Sir Jonathan Ive, who leads the design team responsible for the iMac, iPod and the iPhone; and Warren Trezevant, of Pixar, who has worked on movies including Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Toy Story and The Incredibles. Northumbria offers eight postgraduate taught options, including MA Performance Product Design, MA Interior Design Futures, MA Fashion Management, MA Animation and MRes Design.

‘Think Differently’ takes place at 5.30pm on Thursday 20 June in Northumbria Design, City Campus East. Those wishing to attend must register by Thursday 13 June. For more information and to register, visitwww.northumbria.ac.uk/thinkdifferently.

Date posted: June 10, 2013

Northumbria is a research-rich, business-focussed, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence. To find out more about our courses go towww.northumbria.ac.uk